Had a pretty cool shift today. So, an older (much older) gentleman walks into my Starbucks today, and gets a coffe and a paper. I compliment him on his very fine cap, an old gray-green forage. He says it's a good hat, but it's a shame they're so hard to find nowadays. "Used to be," he says, "they were all over the place, and you could just pick them up off the ground; especially if the Germans walked into an ambush."

Later, I went outside for my break to get some air, and it turned out the old guy was still there. He came over, and we had coffee and shared a smoke together. "You want quantity," he said, "shop American. You want quality, shop Third Reich."

Working on the website. Putting all the photos/images that are on the website on the corresponding tumblr. Brain is going kaputz from focusing on fiddly boring sort of stuff. But! Even though I'm probably going to lose money from doing this and I'm not making enough money from the job on top of it all, this is a step in right direction to going back to being A Proper Artist and who knows maybe I'll actually make some money. And be able to build/buy a new desktop and etc etc. And not being using the computer at my parents (technically, the computer is mine, but the internet is theirs). And I finally got a call back from my former boss so maybe we'll actually manage to hang out before she leaves for a week! (Or two?) Anyway! At some point, do you think y'all would mind being my marketing sample group of sorts? Like look at photos/images I've uploaded and tell me which ones you would be most likely to buy? Aside from the fabulous ego stroking, it would help me order prints that will hopefully actually sell and as a result, hopefully will mean I won't be spending money I really shouldn't be spending. I mean, if you do mind, no worries ignore me and all, but if y'all are up for it, I'll put up a link and you can like the images on tumblr or say the names of the ones you like or whatever works best.

Saw a place up for lease in a nice area in the city and allowed myself to fantasize about owning a bar and having a Firefly "You buy this ship, treat her proper, she'll be with you the rest of your life." moment. While there's no way in hell I'll be able to afford it, I'm still going to call the realtors and look around the place taking pictures.

On a related note, if anyone here has gobs and gobs of money that they don't know what to do with, I'd like to buy a place and get a bar going. Just throwing that out there.

It'll probably be another week for the website, so the tumblr will have to do for now. I would have liked to have organized stuff better on tumblr, but I'm really not sure how to do more fancy things and I figure I should be focusing my energies on the website. The tumblr is significantly heavier on photography than drawing/collage/solvent transfers/etc, but that has a lot to do with the fact that the photos are already in a digital format, so I don't have to pay for the high end scanning, just the printing. Hopefully, by the time I have the website up, I'll have most of the business kinks ironed out. And I should probably shut up now before I babble on and on about all my hopes and fears.

@oldhat: As much as it is a bummer that you can't buy the place and get a bar going now, that is a wonderful dream to have. And should you ever visit my corner of the world, I'll be sure to show you the restaurant/bar/brewery that my beer loving cousin and his wife make a point of visiting (and buying beer from) whenever they are in the area.

And as for exciting things today, I got to hang out with my more than awesome former boss who is now my neighbor, and she got to complain about those horrid narrow minded missionaries (she's a Methodist Minister who is not your typical pastor, to say the least) and I got to hear how things are getting better for her, and I might get some work for her playing piano for her church sometimes. And I got to visit the "granola guys" which is the couple who make this amazing organic granola and now trail mix (that I would buy if I could afford it), who are in the building the pizza factory used to be. Anyways, now I need to start practicing piano like hardcore.

edit: because somehow it's easier for relatives to stumble upon this page than typing in the actual web address. Apparently google likes whitechapel?

@trini, ah...it happens. For what it is, it might not be the ideal location for it (near two bars, both with kitchens). But still...good to finally think "Fuck it, I'm gonna DO IT" instead of just thinking "wouldn't it be nice?". Also, hooray your tumblr!!!

As for me, I think the only awesome thing about this day was that I forgot it was International Stout Day (There's a "day" for everything, really, but still) and a brewery sent over a complimentary 12-pack of a stout they're releasing. I put some in my stew tonight and am sipping some now. It'll be a while before this goes!

I just wanted to send out hugs to this place really. I used to be a bit of forum junkie, ending up as an admin on one, and I just got sick of the circular arguments. Also on the wider internet the entrenched immovable positioning that seems to prevent debate by going straight to slanging match. Whitechapel is a big old antidote to that. When debates develop they're intelligent and insightful. Thanks for being a calm centre.Also I've lost half a stone.Also my bairn has started sleeping 9 hours on a night regularly.

fuck yeah!! Opening night! survived, didn't kill anyone. No disaster, a great house and even a friend of mine managed to make it! Woo!

And then the friend liked it, the audience seemed very happy about it all, a taco bar after plus a great new wine pouring liberally and one of the guys privately sharing his stash of Bulleit. Hell yes.

Me, I went running. And then went on a long walk while carrying heavy bags. And now I'm exhausted, but the endorphins have kicked in so I'm feeling pretty good.

Tonight, Beans on toast for dinner, a couple of beers (one of which being a Belgian number that celebrates the birthday of Charles V), a warm blanket, an episode or two of Rumpole of the Bailey with my family and then, maybe, hopefully, some sleep.

My current boss has been driving me nuts (loud angry German that doesn't quite get where jokes end and being a discriminatory jerk begins). Also, he doesn't pay me very much, and the work, while mildly interesting, is not really want I want to be doing.

However, as of Dec 3rd, I shall be officially paid to make video games! Wooo! Living the dream!

Of course, the place I am moving to primarily makes licensed Disney tie-in game for kids (Finding Nemo and a host of Disney princesses are featured on their website). That doesn't mean they have to be bad video games. Hopefully my love of the general work will overcome the slightly lackluster subject matter, and lets face it, I'm not going to be entirely happy until I am making my own games full time anyways. Also, did I mention they are paying me double my previous salary? Plus adding benefits?

Yeah, I'm in a pretty good mood as of late.

Still, have to get to the end of the month. Just got to keep on trucking until I am in the clear.